Stephen King’s mansion is becoming a writer’s retreat

Perfect news for spooky season: famed horror writer Stephen King is turning his home in Bangor, Maine into an archive and writer’s retreat.

According to Rolling Stone, King and his wife Tabitha will “rezone their home as a non-profit, allowing it to house an archive of King’s work (offering restricted visits by appointment) and up to five writers at a time.”

The house—a red Victorian-style mansion with a black iron gate featuring gothic designs and winged creatures—has become somewhat of a photo opportunity for fans over the years. Giving the often empty house a purpose—King is usually on the road or at his other residences in Florida and Oxford County, Maine—will hopefully cut down on the foot traffic outside. David Gould, a Bangor planning officer, told New England Cable News, “They did not want the house to become a Dollywood or some kind of tourist attraction. That would bring all sorts of people to the neighborhood, and they have other neighbors that live there.”

The Bangor City Council approved King’s proposal last week, giving the green light to the archive and the writer’s program. Who knows what writing will emerge from the program—but there’s sure to be some King-inspired horror, right?